Hue to Hoi An

Woke up this morning - in my suite - and went to have brekkie! FYI I've been having cereal and then eggs most days - somehow I cant get my head around Pho Bo (which is the Vietnamese traditional breakfast of beef and noodles in a stock with chillies etc) - I prefer Cocopops!

We went to see  couple of tombs of the Kings of Vietnam out in the country - one of them raised taxes and it took over 11 years to complete his tomb.

Then for the highlight, the trip over the Hai Van Pass - and winding mountain road between Hue and Da Nang and the views were incredible! For any of you that have seen the Top Gear special that inspired my trip here, it was this road that JC finally realised what biking was about. (Personally I still dont see the appeal especially in Vietnam - I like living!)

Into Da Nang where I went to the Cham Museum - the Cham were the race that occupied the central and southern parts of Vietnam before the Vietnamese. It started to go wrong when the Cham King wanted to marry the Vietnamese Kings' daughter so gave up huge amount of land in exchange! Kind of makes selling a 2 bedroom flat look small fry when compared to thousands of square miles!

Lunch in a nice restaurant where I ate alone - I think I forgot - I have my own personal driver and tour guide (Long - which means Dragon in Vietnamese). Long is very funny - he has pretty good english but keeps trying to learn more so we started swapping - I teach him some English and he teaches me some Vietnamese (well he's taught me hello, goodbye, please, thank you and how to order a beer - which is all I need to know). In return he's had collective names for geese, cows, goats, sheep, ships (cause I didnt get his accent and I thought he asked for ships not sheep) and fish. I have also taught him 'Dirty Old Man' aka Martin, Sugar Daddy, Toy Boy and I think this was the jewel in the crown - he wanted to know a really long word so I taught him .... supercalifragilisticexpialidocious which I'm sure will amuse many english tourists in the future!

Anyway, after lunch we drove to Hoi An and had a wander through town (its not very big) - the number of clothes shop that actually make you suits on demand is incredible and loads of silk.

After this, went o my hotel, the Life Resort - and I'm in ..... wait for it .... a normal room - what no suite I hear you cry - my words exactly (not really) - all the rooms are lovely with day beds outside, a seating area inside with steps upto the bed area and the bathroom. Cant complain really!